Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to an adjustable equipment mount assembly configured for use with an overhead support module that extends below a ceiling of a structure.
Certain interior environments, such as clean rooms, hospital-like operating rooms, radiology rooms, and dental suites, utilize extremely clean air in order to protect target sites and work therein. Electronic equipment may generate heat. As such, systems may be used that concentrate cool air within the vicinity of the heat-generating equipment. Individuals, such as surgeons, may also prefer to have available additional heated or cooled air in the immediate vicinity of an operating table, to hold a patient at a stable temperature or dissipate the excess heat created by bright lamps or a team of doctors and nurses surrounding the patient. However, the needs of a given room may change over time, as new technology replaces what was originally installed, or the room is converted to different uses and configurations. Accordingly, it may be undesirable to have air conditioning and ventilation permanently installed as part of the structure of the building. Additionally, when multiple parties provide equipment for the internal spaces, there is typically significant coordination required during the design and construction phase to avoid scheduling and product conflicts. Therefore, modular systems that may be installed or removed with only minor structural alterations may be preferred and utilized.
Modular installation systems typically result in construction that is less expensive and more convenient. For example, ventilation structures need not be custom fabricated on-site, nor incorporated into the structure during construction. Instead, modular units may be mass-produced at an off-site factory and shipped to a location during construction. On-site fabrication may then be limited to fabrication and alterations as are necessary to attach the modular units to the frame of the building.
In modern operating rooms, equipment such as robotic surgical aids may be used. The surgical aids typically make surgery more precise and less prone to errors caused by the inherent fallibility of human hands. Additionally, even in typical clean environments, there may be a significant need for overhead-supported equipment, such as light boom assemblies, automated material handling systems, and the like. Typically, such equipment is hung from the building structure and descends through the ceiling in order to preserve valuable floor space. However, the arrangement may be expensive, require a custom installation during building construction, and may limit the possible room configurations based on the nature of the underlying building frame.
Additionally, equipment that is hung from a building structure is typically fixed in place. For example, an equipment boom may be secured to a stationary equipment mount within a building structure. Accordingly, if the configuration of a room is later changed, a new equipment mount may need to be installed in the room, and the previous equipment mount removed, in order to accommodate the new configuration. As can be appreciated, however, adding and removing equipment mounts may be costly and time-consuming.